Abortion

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the last three years for which figures are available, how many abortions were performed in (a) England and Wales, and (b) Scotland; how many were performed in National Health Service hospitals; how many in private hospitals; what was the cost of performing abortions in National Health Service hospitals and in private hospitals; what was the total number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967; and, of those, how many were performed to save the life of the mother.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The available information is shown in the following tables.
	Costs to the National Health Service for abortions performed in NHS hospitals in England are set out in the table below. The department does not hold complete data on the cost to the NHS for abortions performed in the independent sector under NHS contract and does not hold data on the cost of privately funded abortions.
	
		
			 Year National total cost of medical and surgical terminations undertaken by NHS organisations (Schedule 4 of national reference costs) 
			 2006-07 £62,886,000 
			 2005-06 £78,588,000 
			 2004-05 £67,637,000 
		
	
	Source: Schedule 4 (NHS Trusts and PCTs combined) of the national schedule of reference costs
	Notes:
	1. The figures in the table above represent the number of Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) multiplied by the national average unit cost.
	2. National average unit costs are calculated on a weighted basis.
	3. Schedule 4 2006-07 data are not directly comparable to 2005-06 and 2004-05 due a change in the data collection.
	4. Figures have not been adjusted for the market forces factor.
	The cost of abortions performed in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government. Data on, and cost of, abortions performed in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Government.
	
		
			 Abortions: totals, rates and by purchaser, residents, England and Wales, 2005 — 2007 
			   Rate per 1,000 women residents aged 15-44  Purchaser   
			 Year Total ASR* Crude NHS NHS agency Non-NHS 
			 2005 186,416 17.8 17.0 74,744 82,518 29,154 
			 2006 193,737 18.3 17.5 75,328 92,494 25,915 
			 2007 198,499 18.6 17.9 75,518 100,195 22,786 
		
	
	* Age-standardised rates (ASR).
	Rates for all women residents age-standardised to the European population for ages 15-44.
	
		
			 Total abortions to save the life of the mother *, residents of England and Wales, 2005-07 
			  Section 1(4) Section 1(1)(c) % Total all abortions 
			 2005 - 1281 0.07 186,416 
			 2006 - 1491 0.08 193,737 
			 2007 - 1121 0.06 198,499 
		
	
	* Grounds under the Abortion Act 1967.
	Section 1(4) that the termination is immediately necessary to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
	Section 1(1)(c) that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
	- suppressed value less than 10 (between 0-9) in line with the Office for National Statistics' guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005).
	1 total includes suppressed values.

Abortion

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the abortion rates per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 in (a) England and Wales, and (b) Scotland, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Abortions : totals and rates, residents, England and Wales, 2005-07 
			 Rate per 1,000 women residents aged 15-44 
			 Year Total Age-standardised rate (ASR)* Crude 
			 2005 186,416 17.8 17.0 
			 2006 193,737 18.3 17.5 
			 2007 198,499 18.6 17.9 
		
	
	* Rates for all women residents age-standardised to the European population for ages 15-44
	Data on abortions performed in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Government.

Abortion

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many abortions were performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in each of the past 15 years, broken down by (a) grounds for abortion, (b) length of gestation, and (c) health authority in Scotland, where the unborn child was suffering from (1) cleft palate, and (2) cleft lip.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The information is shown in the following table for abortions performed in England and Wales since 1995.
	Prior to 1995, the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems codes did not include cleft lip and/or palate. For 1995 onwards, abortions with a principal medical condition of cleft lip or cleft palate are coded together as cleft lip and/or palate.
	Data cannot be broken down by gestation or health authority for confidentiality reasons in line with the Office for National Statistics' guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005). All abortions shown were performed under Section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967, that there is substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped. 2008 statistics are due to be published in spring 2009.
	Data on abortions performed in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Government.
	
		
			 Abortions performed under Section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967, with a principal medical condition of cleft lip and/or palate by gestation, residents of England and Wales, 1995-2007 
			  Total cleft lip and/or palate  
			  All gestations 24+ weeks 
			 1995 6 0 
			 1996 5 0 
			 1997 5 0 
			 1998 5 0 
			 1999 3 0 
			 2000 9 0 
			 2001 2 1 
			 2002 1 0 
			 2003 111 - 
			 2004 111 - 
			 2005 111 - 
			 2006 - - 
			 2007 - - 
		
	
	- suppressed value less than 10 (between 0 and 9). From 2003 onwards, totals of less than 10 are suppressed for reasons of confidentiality in line with the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005).
	1 For years 2003, 2004 and 2005, some of the principal medical conditions for abortions performed under Section 1(1)(d) had to be suppressed as the totals for each single year were too small to release. In the three years 2003-05, there were 11 cases with a principal medical condition of the congenital malformation cleft lip and/or cleft palate.

Abortion

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take account of the effects of the Hyde Amendment on federal funding of abortion in the United States in preparing future partial regulatory impact assessments of legislation relating to termination of pregnancy.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Only legislation pertaining to the laws governing abortion in Great Britain will be considered as part of any future partial regulatory impact assessment of legislation relating to the termination of pregnancy. We have no plans to change the law on abortion.

Aluminium

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vadera on 11 February (WA 185—86), whether the aluminium plant at Wylfa will be closed as a consequence of European Union state aid rules.

Baroness Vadera: In response to global market conditions, Rio Tinto Alcan has recently announced its restructuring plans and also said that it anticipates that it may have to close its aluminium smelting operation at the Holyhead site (Anglesey Aluminium) at the end of September 2009 when its current long-term energy supply contract with the nuclear power station at Wylfa ends. No final decision has been taken yet and we welcome Rio Tinto's willingness to continue to seek a new energy contract and pursue other commercial opportunities for the Anglesey site.
	The contract between Anglesey Aluminium Metal (AAM) and the NDA is a commercial matter for the parties and is subject to state aid rules. As well as doing what it can to encourage the company and the NDA to agree a new energy contract, BERR, together with the Welsh Assembly Government and DECC, will continue to work with Anglesey Aluminium to try and help the company find a way forward.

Armed Forces: Accommodation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will increase funding for upgrading and refurbishing army family accommodation; and, if so, by how much.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The Government attach a high priority to the needs of service personnel and their families. For that reason we plan to spend in excess of £3 billion on improving and upgrading Armed Forces accommodation over the next decade. Included within this sum is over £600 million for upgrading and refurbishing family accommodation. We are having to make good decades of underinvestment and the process will inevitably take time.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces were deployed in each of the states which made up the former Republic of Yugoslavia on (a) 1 January 2008, and (b) 1 January 2009; and how many are expected to be added or withdrawn in each of the next three years.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The table below provides the number of Armed Forces personnel deployed in each country. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five for both Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
	The numbers include personnel deployed in support of NATO, EU and diplomatic tasks.
	
		
			 Country 1 January 2008 1 January 2009 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 20 20 
			 Croatia 2 0 
			 Kosovo 175 175 
			 Macedonia 2 0 
			 Serbia 2 1 
			 Slovenia 0 0 
		
	
	I refer my noble friend to the Statement my right honourable friend the Secretary of State made on 4 March 2009 (Official Report, col. 1659W), which provides further information on the proposed drawdown in the presence of Armed Forces personnel in Kosovo.
	Force levels are kept under constant review in light of the changing situation.

Armed Forces: Parades

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government in view of Section 29J of the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, what is their assessment of the arrest of Mr Nathan Draper at the demonstrations at the parade by the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment on 10 March.

Lord West of Spithead: This is an operational matter for the chief constable of Bedfordshire police.

Banking

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will require the chairmen and chief executives of banks in which the taxpayer, through UK Financial Investments, holds over 50 per cent of the ordinary shares to be fully resident and domiciled in the United Kingdom for tax purposes; and, if not, for what reason.

Lord Myners: The Government were clear when the UK's rules on residence and domicile for personal tax purposes were reformed in the 2008 Finance Act that the remittance basis of taxation is a legitimate basis of taxation. It has been made fairer by the reforms and ensures a greater contribution from those staying in the UK long term. The Government also believe it is important to attract investment and resources to the UK, and these rules help to support UK competitiveness.
	At Budget 2008 the Chancellor made a commitment not to make substantial changes to these rules for this Parliament and the next; we do not intend to set a requirement for chairmen and chief executives to be resident or domiciled in the UK.

Banking: Bank of Scotland (Ireland)

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 10 March (WA 225) about appointments of senior management in the Bank of Scotland (Ireland), in relation to which other banks operating in the United Kingdom the Financial Services Authority has no role in the appointment of senior management.

Lord Myners: The FSA assesses the fitness and propriety of senior management in all institutions where it is the primary regulator. The FSA Register at www.fsa.gov.uk/register/home.do displays details of all firms that are authorised to operate in the UK together with the details of any senior management within these institutions where it has assessed their fitness and propriety.

Benefits

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how their policy on population limitation informs their policies for the payment of benefits.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Government do not have a policy on population limitation.

Brazil: Sex Tourism

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide the government of Brazil with technical advice and expertise to limit the use of the internet for promoting sex-tourism, paedophilia and sex trafficking, either directly or through the international organisations of which the United Kingdom is a member.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK works closely with international partners, either bilaterally or through multilateral organisations, to tackle these crimes. There has been limited direct contact with Brazil, but we would of course be happy to discuss such matters with them, and to work with them to prevent these offences.

Companies Act 2006

Lord Sharman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in evaluating the business reviews being published by companies under the Companies Act 2006.

Baroness Vadera: The Government committed to conduct an assessment of the business review provisions under Section 417 of the Companies Act 2006 two years after implementation. These provisions came into force on 1 October 2007 for financial years beginning on or after that date. The first business reviews to be completed under these provisions will therefore be published this year and we expect to review how the provisions have worked in 2010, after two reporting cycles.

Debt: United States

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they owe outstanding principal of $4,368 billion to the United States; whether there is interest on that figure; and, if so, how much.

Lord Myners: At the end of the First World War the United Kingdom debt to the United States amounted to $4,368 million (at 1934 exchange rates this was around £866 million). Repayments of the debt were made between 1923 and 1931. In 1931 President Hoover of the United States proposed a one-year moratorium on all war debts, which allowed extensive international discussions on the general problems of debt repayment to be held. However no satisfactory agreement was reached. In the absence of such an agreement no payments have been made to, or received from, other nations since 1934.

Deer

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what result they expect from recent measures to reduce the densities of wild deer roaming in sensitive areas.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: At increased populations, deer can impact negatively on woodland sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and can affect structure and natural processes, regeneration potential and quality indicators, leading to these SSSIs going into unfavourable condition.
	As a result of deer control in these sensitive areas we would expect to see a reduction in these negative impacts and a reduction in the number of woodland SSSIs in unfavourable condition due to deer.
	In England in 2004, 8,146 hectares of woodland SSSI were in unfavourable condition because of the impacts of deer. The Deer Initiative, a broad partnership of statutory, voluntary and private interests which works to foster the sustainable management of deer in England and Wales, was asked to focus on certain priority areas. By 2007, the figure of 8,146 hectares had been reduced to 3,907 hectares being in unfavourable condition because of deer impacts.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 9 March (WA 204), and notwithstanding that they deem the prosecution of Mr Ian Withers to be an operational matter, whether they will make an assessment of the wider implications of this prosecution.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Although the prosecution of Mr Withers is an operational matter, the Government have responsibility for maintaining the legislative framework governing elections and electoral registration in Northern Ireland. Legislation relating to electoral registration is reviewed on an ongoing basis, including powers relating to the provision of information to registration officers contained in the Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008.

Employment: Agency Workers

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they ensure that employment agencies and gangmasters explain employment rights and entitlements to their workers.

Baroness Vadera: The Government are running a sustained programme to raise awareness of employment rights among vulnerable workers, including those working for employment agencies or gangmasters.
	On 9 February 2009, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform launched a £1.2 million campaign aimed at agency workers. As part of this campaign, my right honourable friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs wrote to more than 13,000 employment agencies in Great Britain to promote guidance for employers on the businesslink.gov.uk website and to provide copies of a leaflet entitled Agency Workers: Know Your Rights. These materials outline the rights of agency workers and the responsibilities of employment agencies towards them. The leaflets are being distributed to agency workers through trade unions, universities, refugee groups, citizens advice bureaux and will soon be available in jobcentres.
	The Gangmasters Licensing Authority's licensing standards stipulate what licenced gangmasters must do to ensure that workers' rights are protected. Alongside these standards the GLA provides advice and guidance for workers in 15 languages in leaflets and on the authority's website. Thousands of leaflets have been requested by gangmasters and businesses as well as voluntary groups, trade unions, foreign embassy consular services and citizens advice bureaux. The leaflets are handed out by GLA officers during inspections and are small enough for a worker to conceal so that those who are not confident to speak out at the time can check their rights and contact the GLA at a later date.

Employment: Work Experience

Lord Smith of Leigh: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will continue to support all sheltered places of employment so that they can continue to provide opportunities for disadvantaged groups to gain work experience in the current downturn.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: A new programme to improve specialist disability employment provision will be introduced from October 2010. The programme will replace Workstep, work preparation, and the job introduction scheme. For the first time, the full provision will be openly tendered on a national basis using the new DWP commercial strategy. This will enable greater numbers of disabled people with more complex support needs to take up work, through the provision of support which is sufficiently flexible to meet their needs. The new programme will provide flexible customised support for disabled people with a greater focus on job outcomes and progression.
	On 30 March we will be publishing a specification outlining the service we require suppliers to provide for the new programme. It will provide indicative budgets and customer volumes, provide an overview of the funding model and information about performance and contract management arrangements. This information is provided to help prospective suppliers decide whether to take part in the first stage of the competition—the pre-qualification questionnaire. Those suppliers successful at the pre-qualification questionnaire stage will be invited in July to progress to the invitation to tender stage of the competition. We expect to award contracts in April 2010 and for the new programme to begin in October 2010.
	There are a total of 172 current Workstep providers who hold 14,000 places. Of the total number, 93 providers have a supported business and Workstep funds around 3,000 places within these supported businesses. Our intention is to provide some financial protection for Workstep funded places only for the five-year term of the new contracts, bringing us to 2015.
	The Government are not responsible for supported businesses run by local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors and the non Workstep funded places provided in these businesses for disabled people. We are not providing protection in the new contracts for non Workstep funded places.
	Remploy's Enterprise Business arm currently comprises a network of 54 local business sites spread across the UK. Remploy operates in nine business sectors covering both manufactured products and managed services. These include support services, logistics and recycling as well as extended supply chain and higher added-value manufacturing. Managed services are teams of disabled individuals delivering contracts such as CCTV operations and facilities management.

Equality: Company Boards

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make it compulsory for British companies to appoint a substantial number of women to their boards.

Baroness Vadera: The Government do not intend to legislate to require companies to appoint a certain number of women to their boards. The Government, however, encourage companies to draw on a wider pool of talent in making appointments as diverse boardrooms provide a valuable mix of skills and experience. Board appointments are ultimately a matter for shareholders and need to be recruited on the basis of merit.

Flooding: India

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have provided assistance to the people of Bihar displaced by last year's flooding and recently evicted from camps by their Government.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DfID) provided £1.15 million to UNICEF for immediate assistance to those displaced in Bihar by the Kosi River flooding.
	We are currently considering a further £2.5 million of assistance to the Government of Bihar for infrastructure rehabilitation activities in affected towns.

Gaza

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether compensation has been offered by Israel or the international community to the people of the Shujaiya district of Gaza for the destruction by an Israeli jet of a clinic serving 80,000 people.

Lord Malloch-Brown: No such compensation has been offered by Israel.
	The international community pledged approximately $4.5 billion at the Sharm el-Sheikh conference on 2 March 2009. It is unclear exactly how much of this is new money, but the conference demonstrated the commitment of the international community to assist the people of Gaza. Restrictions on access continue to hamper humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. We have pressed the Israeli Government to allow freer access for vital supplies.

Gaza and the West Bank

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the Government of Israel about any violation of international law resulting from the closure of the Gaza crossings and blockage of supplies for reconstruction, and the occupation and settlements in the West Bank.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We press the Israeli Government frequently to lessen the restrictions that they place on Palestinians and to cease settlement building.
	Although there is no permanent physical Israeli presence in Gaza, given the significant control that Israel has over Gaza's borders, airspace and territorial waters, Israel retains obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as an occupying power. The Fourth Geneva Convention is clear than an occupying power must co-operate in allowing the passage and distribution of relief consignments. The UK has consistently reiterated this message on numerous occasions along with our concerns regarding the current humanitarian situation in Gaza.
	My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has raised this with Isaac Herzog, the Israeli Minister responsible for humanitarian access to Gaza. He also reiterated this message at the reconstruction conference in Sharm el-Sheikh on 2 March 2009. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development also urged the Israelis, during his recent visit to Gaza on 1 March 2009, for improved access and to relax tough restrictions on the type of goods that are allowed across the border. This includes supplies of reconstruction material which are urgently needed to help rebuild damaged and destroyed homes, schools, and hospitals.
	We continue to be concerned with the ongoing settlement activity, and will consistently urge Israel to freeze all settlement activity. The UK has recently supported an EU statement, issued on 20 February 2009, condemning the plans for a settlement construction in the vicinity of Adam in the West Bank.

Government Departments: IT

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government which information technology contracts with a value of £50 million or over have been entered into by departments since 1997; and which of those have been completed to budget, to time and to specification.

Lord Myners: This information is not held centrally but by individual departments.

Government Equalities Office: Discrimination

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Government Equalities Office monitors and assesses government actions aimed at addressing any disadvantage that individuals experience because of their race, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation and religion or belief.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Public Service Agreement 15 (Address the disadvantage that individuals experience because of their race, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation and religion or belief) is underpinned by statistical indicators which are used to monitor performance. Progress against these indicators is set out regularly by the Government Equalities Office in its departmental reports.

Guantanamo Bay: Binyam Mohamed

Lord Leach of Fairford: To ask Her Majesty's Government in light of the High Court's conclusion in the case of Binyam Mohamed that it is an independent crime to assist in concealing evidence of torture, whether the United Kingdom will now be required to reveal any such evidence contained in intelligence material provided by other countries; or whether the relevant intelligence-sharing protocols will override any such legal requirement.

Lord Malloch-Brown: There was no such conclusion of the High Court. The case brought by Mr Mohamed was a judicial review. It was not before a criminal court and did not consider criminal issues. The question of possible criminal wrongdoing that arose in the course of the judicial review was referred to the Attorney-General. This is, as the court acknowledged, the proper legal process.

Health: Cancer Research

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to increase funding for research into treatments against aggressive prostate tumours.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The usual practice of the department's National Institute for Health Research and of the Medical Research Council is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Both organisations welcome applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.

Health: Homeopathy

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether primary care trusts can require patients being referred to the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital to provide evidence of the clinical effectiveness of any treatment before referral is permitted.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government do not maintain a position on any complementary or alternative medicine treatments and it is the responsibility of the National Health Service to make decisions on what types of services or treatments they will commission and fund. In considering a referral for any type of treatment, a general practitioner would need to take into consideration safety, evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness as well as the availability of suitably qualified and regulated practitioners.

Iran

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of executions in Iran; and what representations they have made to the United Nations on this issue.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The UK has serious concerns about the growing number of executions taking place in Iran and the continued use of the death penalty, especially for minors. We oppose the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. The rate of executions has grown year-on-year since 2005. There were more than 300 executions in 2007 and 318 in 2008. Iran has so far executed at least 60 people this year alone, including one juvenile.
	We continue to take all available opportunities, bilaterally and through the EU, to make clear to the Iranian authorities our concerns about human rights abuses, and Iran's use of capital punishment in particular. We have raised concerns about the overall use of the death penalty in Iran, and individual death penalty cases, with the Iranian authorities at least six times this year, bilaterally and through the EU. In December 2008 we co-sponsored a resolution on Iran's human rights situation in the UN General Assembly. The resolution expresses deep concern at "the continuing high incidence of executions carried out in the absence of internationally recognised safeguards, including public executions of juveniles". We also raised our concerns in our statement to the Human Rights Council in March 2009.

Legal Aid

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what cuts have been made in the family legal aid budgets as regards (a) public law cases where children are alleged to be at risk of significant harm and may be permanently separated from their birth family; (b) private law cases involving decisions about where children should live and with whom they should have contact; and (c) financial cases where mothers and children seek financial support from fathers who seek to hide or minimise their needs.

Lord Bach: On 12 February 2009 the Government announced changes to the family graduated fee scheme for barristers (Official Report, col. WS116). In the past five years legal aid payments to family barristers have increased unsustainably by more than 30 per cent from £74 million to almost £100 million annually with no commensurate increase in case load. Our changes reduce payments to family barristers by £6.5 million annually, and help us to avoid reducing services to the public in order to meet the rising cost of barristers' fees.
	Assuming the same volume and type of cases using counsel in the future as in 2007-08, our changes will mean the following net reductions in future expenditure on barristers' fees: (a) public law care proceedings work by 4.2 per cent (£2 million per annum), (b) private law children cases by 9.3 per cent (£2.9 million), (c) ancillary relief cases by 16 per cent (£1.6 million) but from an unsustainably high base. It is incumbent on all those paid by the taxpayer to ensure that taxes are spent as effectively and efficiently as possible. However, if in future volumes increase, or cases are longer or more complex, more will be spent. We are not reducing the legal advice and assistance provided to children and families in family cases.

London Living Wage

Lord Harries of Pentregarth: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Answer by Lord Myners on 8 December 2008 (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 150), what was meant by the description of the independent charity, the Family Budget Unit, who undertook the work on minimum income standards, which supplied the evidence on which the London living wage is based, as "not transparent in its processes".

Lord Myners: As was explained in the debate of 8 December 2008, the Low Pay Commission ensures transparency is at the heart of the extensive process used to set the national minimum wage. The Low Pay Commission invites the Government to provide evidence, along with trade unions, employers' organisations, academics and voluntary organisations, setting the economic and non-economic backdrop to their recommendations on national minimum wage rates. To enable it to advise and make recommendations to Government, it also undertakes extensive research, analysis, consultation and fact-finding visits throughout the UK to meet employers, employees and representative organisations. The Low Pay Commission's conclusions are set out in a 200 page evidence-based report.

Narrative Reporting

Lord Sharman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance is produced for companies on narrative reporting in the light of the financial crisis and the Climate Change Act 2008.

Baroness Vadera: The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is responsible for standards of corporate reporting and in that capacity issues guidance as well as monitoring compliance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The FRC has recently issued guidance on various reporting issues to help companies with reporting in the present economic conditions. In line with Section 83 of the Climate Change Act, the Government are committed to producing guidance to help those reporting on their greenhouse gas emissions by 1 October 2009. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will consult widely on the guidance prior to publication in September.

Palestine

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they will give to any Palestinian National Unity Government emerging following the resignation of the present Palestinian Authority Prime Minister.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Salam al-Fayyad is still the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. We welcome his valuable contribution in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and continue to work with him.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Patel of Bradford on 3 March (WA 141), whether they are considering introducing legislation to allow public service pensions to be reduced if there has been a decrease in prices.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: How any adjustments to the level of public service pensions in relation to prices will be determined during 2009-10 will be considered in the light of developments over the year ahead, including the actual levels of prices.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many paper petitions the Prime Minister received in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; what steps were taken to publicise them; and whether they will place the text of the petitions received and the number of signatures in the Library of the House.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures are in place for receiving, recording, acknowledging, dealing with and responding to paper petitions from members of the public that are submitted to the Prime Minister, and informing the petitioners of any action that is taken in response to a petition.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Prime Minister is informed of paper petitions submitted by members of the public to 10 Downing Street when he is away from 10 Downing Street; and what information he is presented with about such petitions upon his return.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government for how long paper petitions submitted by members of the public to the Prime Minister are stored; where the petitions are stored; how the petitions are disposed of; and what information is retained.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Prime Minister is informed of petitions submitted to the e-petition scheme of the Number 10 Downing Street website; how regularly such information is presented to the Prime Minister; and when was the last time it happened.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Prime Minister takes to ensure that paper and electronic petitions submitted to him by members of the public are raised with the relevant departments of state; and whether the Prime Minister is informed of and consulted on what action they plan to take in responding to petitions.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many paper petitions submitted by members of the public to the Prime Minister were received in person by the Prime Minister in (a) 2007, and (b) 2008; and whether they will place the text of the petitions and the number of signatures in the Library of the House.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria, aside from security, are applied when deciding whether to allow a paper petition to be presented to the door of 10 Downing Street as opposed to the gate to Downing Street; and whether those criteria require a minimum number of signatures.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many groups attempting to deliver paper petitions to the door of 10 Downing Street intended for the Prime Minister and signed by members of the public have been refused access to Downing Street on grounds other than those relating to security or timing in (a) 2007, and (b) 2008; what the subjects of those petitions were; and what reasons were given for each refusal.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: As has been the practice of successive Governments, petitions delivered in person to Downing Street are administered by the Metropolitan Police.
	From June 2008 to December 2008 approximately 590 petitions were received containing approximately 4,498,600 signatures. This includes petitions received in the post and those delivered in person.
	Once petitions are received by the Prime Minister's Office they are recorded and dealt with in the same manner as standard correspondence. The Prime Minister's Office makes arrangements for a reply to be sent and acknowledges receipt of the petition. Full texts of petitions received are not held.

Police: Discrimination

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the police do not discriminate on the ground of faith when investigating public order offences.

Lord West of Spithead: Under the Human Rights Act, all legislation, including public order offences so far as it is possible to do, must be read and given effect in a way which is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
	The investigation of public order offences by the police and the training which underpins the exercise of police powers must be carried out in a way which does not conflict with the principles set out in the convention. The Human Rights Act itself and ultimately the courts provide a check if the police were to act in a non-compliant, discriminatory way.

Post Office

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they would accept foreign shareholdings of the Post Office if the chosen operator were a monopoly or near-monopoly in its home territory.

Baroness Vadera: The Post Office will remain entirely owned by Government. The Government will judge the suitability of the potential partner in Royal Mail under the terms of the Bill we have published against a number of criteria, the most important of which are:
	the ability to add value to Royal Mail as a whole, including by assisting in the transformation of Royal Mail's letters business and the modernisation of the network; andthe price offered for a minority stake or partnership and the ability to finance the investment.

Public Bodies

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any United Kingdom bank which they control or in which they have a shareholding has been asked to look at businesses in difficulty in any parliamentary constituency in which the sitting Member of Parliament has a majority fewer than 5,000.

Lord Myners: No UK bank has been asked to look at businesses in difficulty by reference to their location in any parliamentary constituency in which the sitting Member of Parliament has a majority fewer than 5,000.
	UK Financial Investments (UKFI) has been set up to manage the Government's investments in financial institutions. These investments currently comprise holdings in RBS, holdings in the Lloyds Banking Group, and in due course, UKFI will manage the 100 per cent ownership of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley. It's overarching objectives are to protect and create value to the taxpayer as a shareholder, with due regard to financial stability and acting in a way that promotes competition.

Public Bodies

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 10 March (HL1612), who are the interested parties being consulted regarding the concept and design of a strategic duty on public bodies to address socio-economic disadvantage.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: My officials have been speaking to representatives from those public bodies who would be affected by this proposed duty, in addition to representatives from other public sector bodies, the private sector, the third sector, trade unions, and others.

Public Service Agreements

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how programmes arising from public service agreements are monitored and assessed .

Lord Myners: Progress on delivering the public service agreements (PSAs) is reported by departments to Parliament in the departmental annual reports (published in spring/summer) and the autumn performance reports.
	The first autumn performance reports assessing progress to date on the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review PSAs were published at the end of 2008.
	Senior responsible owners are appointed for each PSA, and are responsible for monitoring and driving delivery of the PSA including internal reporting of progress. The Prime Minister's Delivery Unit also advises the Prime Minister and the Chancellor throughout the spending period.

Questions for Written Answer: Unanswered Questions

Lord Tebbit: To ask the Leader of the House further to her Written Answer on 4 March (WA 169—70), what were the constraints which delayed the Answer to Lord Corbett of Castle Vale's Question of 3 December 2008 until 3 March, and that of Lord Hylton of 8 December 2008 until 11 February.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I am not aware of the precise circumstances which caused the delays referred to, but have made it very clear to departments that I regard such delays as wholly unacceptable. I will continue to monitor performance closely and to take vigorous action with departments who fail to answer Written Questions within prescribed timescales.

Schools: Truancy

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families in the City of Manchester were (a) imprisoned or (b) fined for their children's non-attendance at school in each of the past three years.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The Ministry of Justice collects data for England and Wales on prosecutions brought against parents under the Education Act 1996 for the offence under Section 444(1) of failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school; and for prosecutions under Section 444(1A), the aggravated offence of knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly. It is possible, because of the way courts record data, that some data are collected under the more general heading of various offences under the Education Act 1996.
	The information on the number of parents sentenced and given fines or immediate custodial sentences in the Greater Manchester area is detailed in the table below. The Ministry of Justice only collects information on prosecutions based on police force regions.
	The department also collects and publishes data on penalty notices (fines) issued by local authorities in England to parents for not ensuring their child's regular attendance at school. The figures for the last three school academic years are detailed in the table below. Data are collected only at local authority level.
	
		
			 Adults sentenced for child truanting offences (1) in the Greater Manchester Police Force Area, 2005-07 
			   Fined Immediate Custody 
			 2005 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 176 58 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 0 1 
			 2006 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 492 0 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 51 4 
			 2007 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 481 1 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 105 0 
		
	
	(1) These data are extracted on the principal offence basis. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
	Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice.
	Ref: Sent(OMSAS)088-09 (18/03/2009).
	
		
			 School Academic Year—Penalty Notices England Manchester LA 
			 1 August 2005 to 1 September 2006 12,150 118 
			 2 September 2006 to 31 August 2007 14,625 195 
			 September 2007 to 31 August 2008 18,291 278 
		
	
	Department for Children, Schools and Families data 2009.

Small Businesses

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many small businesses closed in (a) each English region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in (1) each quarter of 2008, and (2) the first two months of 2009.

Baroness Vadera: Official data relating to small business closures in 2008 and the first two months of 2009 are not yet available.
	The Office for National Statistics is responsible for producing annual statistics on the number of small businesses opening and closing in the UK. This publication, Business Demography,is available on its website at www. statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15186.
	The latest publication (released 28 November 2008) relates to business births and deaths in 2007. Data relating to 2008 will not be published until autumn 2009, and 2009 data will not be published until autumn 2010.

Smoking

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in the City of Manchester have received support from the National Health Service to stop smoking in each of the past four years.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Information on the number of people in the city of Manchester who have received support from the National Health Service to stop smoking in each of the past four years is not available in the format requested. However, information on the number of people setting a quit date and successfully quitting through the NHS Stop Smoking Services is available for Manchester primary care trust (PCT) in 2006-07 and 2007-08, and for Central Manchester, North Manchester and South Manchester PCTs in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. The information is available from the following publications, which have already been placed in the Library.
	Manchester PCT was formed on 1 October 2006 following the merger of Central Manchester, North Manchester and South Manchester PCTs.
	Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2007 to March 2008. This information can be found in table 3.5 on page 28.
	Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2006 to March 2007. Information for Central Manchester, North Manchester and South Manchester PCTs (old breakdown) can be found in table 2.12 on page 19. Information for Manchester PCT (new breakdown) can be found in table 5.4 on page 65.
	Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2005 to March 2006. This information can be found in table 4.12 on page 38.
	Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2004 to March 2005. This information can be found in table 19 on page 53.
	Notes:
	1. The Information Centre for health and social care collects data from the NHS Stop Smoking Services as part of the NHS Stop Smoking Services quarterly monitoring returns forms, undertaken since 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.
	2. On the basis that the clinical viewpoint tends to be that a client should not be counted as a 'failure' if he/she has smoked in the difficult first days after the quit date, a client is counted as having successfully quit smoking if he/she has not smoked at all since two weeks after the quit date. The four-week follow-up (and Carbon Monoxide (CO) validation, if appropriate) must be completed within six weeks of the quit date. Persons not contacted within this time are treated as lost to follow-up for evaluation purposes.
	3. Only people who set a quit date through the NHS Stop Smoking Services are included in the quarterly monitoring returns; those who attend the service but do not set a quit date are therefore excluded.

Taxation

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of British tax revenue goes to the European Union via United Kingdom contributions to the European Union budget; and what is the amount involved.

Lord Myners: There is no direct link between tax revenue and UK contributions to the EC Budget. Details of the sources of revenue by which member states finance the EC Budget can be found on page 37 of the 2008 European Community finances White Paper (Cm 7462), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Visas

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the website of the British consulate-general in Hong Kong lists British Indian Ocean Territory as a country which British National (Overseas) passport holders can visit without a visa; and under what circumstances it is possible for a British National (Overseas) to visit the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Lord Malloch-Brown: I thank the noble Lord for alerting us to the fact that the website of the British consulate-general in Hong Kong lists the British Indian Ocean Territory (BLOT) as a country which British National (Overseas) passport holders can visit without a visa. This is incorrect. Following the judgment by the House of Lords on 22 October 2008, all visitors to the territory require a permit. The BIOT Administration have asked the British consulate-general to amend its list.
	The BIOT Administration do allow private yachts to moor at certain sites in the outer atolls of Peros Banhos and Salomon. Each yacht has to apply for a permit in advance from the BIOT Administration. BIOT customs and immigration officials use the BIOT patrol vessel, the "Pacific Marlin", to check such visitors.

Wales: Personal Debt

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average personal debt in Wales in (a) 2006, (b) 2007, (c) 2008, and (d) 2009.

Lord Myners: Data on personal debt at the total UK level are provided by the Bank of England. Total personal debt in the UK at the end of 2006 was £1.29 trillion, at the end of 2007 £1.41 trillion, and at the end of 2008 £1.46 trillion. No data are yet available for 2009. Data on average personal debt, or data broken down by countries or regions, are not available.

Waterways: Pollution

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to reduce the pollution of the waters of the River Fal in Cornwall; and whether they will investigate the causes of the continued apparent decline of its water quality.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Environment Agency collects monthly samples of water from the River Fal Estuary in Cornwall to assess the quality of the water. These samples do not indicate that the estuary is polluted or that water quality is declining overall.
	However, during heavy rainfall, run-off from fields which may contain slurry and from overloaded sewers can have localised and short-term impacts. The Environment Agency is therefore working with farmers to ensure that farm management plans are in place to prevent and minimise the degree of run-off to the estuary during heavy rain.
	Significant investment by South West Water has also been made in the sewage systems which discharge into the estuary. Each main sewage works has full treatment facilities, which include the use of ultra violet disinfection in recognition of the potential impact of bacterial contamination on shellfish beds.